Welcome Center

Visit the Hamilton Welcome Center at 11 Payne Street, a few doors down from the Colgate Inn, to learn more about what our local businesses have to offer.

History

Recently named one of the friendliest towns in America by Forbes magazine, located in the very heart of Central New York in the historic Chenango Valley, Hamilton has been a home for many since the mid-1700s; offering a picturesque setting and an abundance of local charm.

The Town of Hamilton is located on the southern border of Madison County with Chenango County to the south, near the geographic center of New York State. The Town covers 41 square miles and is home to 6,690 residents. Two villages, the Village of Hamilton and the Village of Earlville as well as the hamlets of Poolville, Hubbardsville and East Hamilton are within the town of Hamilton border.

The Village of Hamilton, with a population of 4,239 is approximately 40 miles southeast of Syracuse and 30 miles southwest of Utica. First inhabited by members of the Native American Iroquois League, it was later settled by Elisha Payne, and called Payne's Settlement. In 1819, Payne and his wife donated their land to the Baptist Theological Society, which became Colgate University. Colgate is a nationally ranked liberal arts college.

Many consider the Village of Hamilton to be a tiny city as we own and operate our own municipal electric utility, village-owned gas utility, police and fire departments as well as a municipal airport with a 5,300 foot runway and an adjacent industrial park zoned for light industry, service and professional office buildings. The Village is also served by SOMAC, a volunteer ambulance service and Community Memorial Hospital.